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posted by n1 on Friday August 22 2014, @03:54PM   Printer-friendly
from the casual-friday dept.

Robert McMillan writes that when it comes to computers, the federal government has a nasty reputation for prizing ISO standards and regulatory checkboxes above working code but now Mikey Dickerson, the former Google engineer who flew into Washington a year ago to salvage the disastrous Healthcare.gov website, says that's changing and the feds want all the techies out there to know Dickerson wasn’t forced to do his amazing job in a suit and tie.

If you do take a job at the White House, you may want to bring your own snacks, expect to work at a desk, not a couch, and hold off on bringing your skateboard to work. Still, the feds are trying to do tech in a clueful fashion. The Obama administration has opened the door to open-source software and collaborative coding. And, hey, even the CIA is using Amazon’s web services.

In a White House video, Dickerson, the new head of the US Digital Service, says he is asked one question again and again by people curious about his new job. They “want to know if I’m wearing a suit to work every day,” In the video, there’s a shot of a staff meeting where President Obama gives Dickerson and his fellow tech “hot-shots” a shout out. “They’re starting to look official now, aren’t they? They’ve got suits and everything,” Obama quips, a nod to the black jacket and yellow tie Dickerson has worn to the meeting. Dickerson tells the president this isn’t the norm. “This is literally only because you’re here,” he replies.

 
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  • (Score: 2) by migz on Saturday August 23 2014, @02:35PM

    by migz (1807) on Saturday August 23 2014, @02:35PM (#84664)

    Recall the origins of the suit and the inability to perform any sort of movement is part of the intent.

    Those wearing suits no doubt had a bevvy of servants to feed them grapes, and would otherwise only movement required would be the occasional sip of champagne.

    Besides suits were designed for cosmetic not functional use. What do you think a tie is for anyway?

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  • (Score: 1) by David_W on Saturday August 23 2014, @09:02PM

    by David_W (3469) on Saturday August 23 2014, @09:02PM (#84752)

    What do you think a tie is for anyway?

    Other than for cutting off circulation to the brain, I've wondered this myself. Ties do not appear to serve any practical/functional purpose at all in an outfit. And for the most part I've never understood the cosmetic appeal of them either...